There was an elephant in the draft room Thursday night when the Jaguars gave up a second-round pick to select quarterback Blaine Gabbert.

For the Jaguars' scouts, it was a moment of celebration. They got the quarterback they think was the best in the draft this year, a player they think will become the face of the franchise and someday bring a Super Bowl trophy to Jacksonville.

For coach Jack Del Rio, though, it was something of a bittersweet moment.

His job suddenly got a whole lot harder.

He's under a mandate to get to the playoffs this fall and he wound up with a rookie quarterback who might not play until next year instead of two defensive players who couwld have helped him immediately. If they hadn't made the trade, they might have been able to pick defensive players in the first two rounds.

Yet Del Rio endorsed the decision because he knows it was the best one for the long-term future of the franchise, even if he isn't part of that future.

He said he puts the team's interests first.

"I think Mr. (Wayne) Weaver pays me to make decisions that are in the best interests of this football team and not always (what's) best for me as a person and individually as a coach,'' he said.

The decision wasn't Del Rio's to make because general manager Gene Smith calls the shots in the draft, but Del Rio agreed with it.

"In the end, the things that we're doing right now are very sound and they're the right things to do, and I support it 100 percent,'' he said.

Del Rio said he tells the players all the time to be unselfish and to do what it is best for the team and that is the way he views this situation.

"That's why I'm doing it myself. I'm not going to ask them to do something I wouldn't do myself. We're going to sacrifice where we need to. This is the right thing to do. I'm not looking for the easiest way or the safest way. I'm looking to help this football team contend for a world championship,'' he said. "That's what I'm about, that's what motivates me. I'm not motivated by the fear of hanging on to this job. That's not my motivation. And that's not to say I don't appreciate and respect the position that I'm in. I've said it time and time again that I consider it an honor and a privilege to be in this position, but my motivation comes from pursing a championship. If you want to hang on for another year and continue to be at a certain level, that's not what we're after,'' he said.

It helps that Del Rio doesn't need a job and is virtually set for life. Counting the more than $5 million he is due in 2012, he will make more than $30 million from the Jaguars, regardless of what happens this year.

He also agrees with the scouts that getting Gabbert was a good move that will puts them on a path to a championship.

"I think that's a valuable step in that direction,'' he said.

Regardless of how the Jaguars fare this year, the next question is whether the Jaguars are right about Gabbert.

They felt he was the best quarterback in the draft, but that's a minority opinion in the league.

Cam Newton was the first pick, by the Carolina Panthers, and Tennessee took Jake Locker over Gabbert.

And Washington was willing to trade down with the Jaguars and take defensive end Ryan Kerrigan in the Jaguars' spot. He was a player penciled in for the Jaguars on many mock drafts.

Cincinnati and San Francisco bypassed Gabbert in the first round and took quarterbacks in the second round. But the Jaguars scouts had no doubts they are right about Gabbert.

As Terry McDonough, the director of player personnel, said, "This is obviously the biggest decision that Gene's made since we've been here. But we just feel so confident that he can not only be a good quarterback, as I least I do and you can write this, I think the kid's going to be a great quarterback.''

He added, 'And if you have a chance to get up and get a franchise quarterback, they can affect the city, the franchise, everything about Jacksonville in the next decade and I feel strongly about that.''

McDonough also said, "If you get the guy and you believe he is the guy and he is the guy, tremendous things can happy for this organization and this city, and I feel that way about this kid. We did it (traded up to get him) because organizationally we thought this guy had limitless potential and we were so excited to get him. I'm not trying to act giddy but the guy is a stud.''

Once the lockout ends, Gabbert will start getting the chance to start proving the Jaguars were right about him.